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About CDC.gov

About NCHS -- NCHS drug poisoning data -- Recent trends -- Who is most at risk? -- Drug poisoning death rates by state.

In recent years, the rate of poisoning deaths in the United States has been on the rise. Drugs – both legal and illegal – cause the vast majority of poisoning deaths.

NCHS uses the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) to monitor deaths due to drug poisoning. The NVSS collects and compiles mortality information from death certificates in all 50 States and the District of Columbia. Policymakers and public health professionals use the NVSS data to design and direct program and policy intervention efforts at the national, state, and local levels.

NCHS identifies the number of drug poisoning deaths from statements about the underlying cause of death on death certificates. Drug poisoning deaths can result from unintentional or intentional overdoses of a drug, being given the wrong drug, taking the wrong drug in error, or taking a drug inadvertently.

Poisoning is the leading cause of injury death in the United States. Drugs—both pharmaceutical and illicit—cause the vast majority of poisoning deaths. : NCHS uses the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) to monitor deaths : due to drug poison...

Poisoning is the leading cause of injury death in the United States. Drugs—both pharmaceutical and illicit—cause the vast majority of poisoning deaths. : NCHS uses the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) to monitor deaths due to drug poisonin...

National Center for Health Statistics (U.S.); National Center for Health Statistics (U.S.);

Published:

December 2011

Series:

NCHS data brief ; no. 81
DHHS publication ; no. (PHS) 2012-1209

Description:

In 2008, the number of poisoning deaths exceeded the number of motor vehicle traffic deaths and was the leading cause of injury death for the first time since at least 1980. During the past three decades, the poisoning death rate nearly tripled, whil...

Drug poisoning (overdose) is the number one cause of injury-related death in the United States, with 43,982 deaths occurring in 2013. While much attention has been given to deaths involving opioid analgesics, in recent years there has been a steady i...

National Center for Health Statistics (U.S.), Office of Analysis and Epidemiology.

Published:

September 2009

Series:

NCHS data brief ; no. 22
DHHS publication ; no. (PHS) 2010-1209

Description:

"KEY FINDINGS: Data from the National Vital Statistics System Mortality File. From 1999 through 2006, the number of fatal poisonings involving opioid analgesics more than tripled from 4,000 to 13,800 deaths. Opioid analgesics were involved in almost ...